Four Dead, 15 injured in Jerusalem Terror Attack

Four soldiers were killed and 15 people wounded when a truck slammed into a group of IDF soldiers in the Armon Hanetziv neighborhood of Jerusalem on Sunday. Security cameras at the site showed a large dump truck speed toward the group adjacent to the Hass Promenade, and subsequently drive in reverse towards the group, apparently in order to increase the number of victims.

The IDF Spokesperson Unit released the names of the four soldiers: Lieutenant Yael Yekutiel (20), Lieutenant Cadet Shir Hajaj (22), Second-Lieutenant Cadet Shira Tzur (20), and Second-Lieutenant Cadet Erez Orbach (20). All the soldiers were promoted to the aformentioned military ranks posthumously.

Eytan Rund, a civilian of approximately 30, started to shoot towards driver and he, together with the help of soldiers who got to the scene a short time later, succeeded in killing him.

Police said the attacker came from Jabel Mukaber, an Arab-majority neighborhood adjacent to Armon Hanetziv, and that there was no warning to indicate an attack was imminent.

“A terrorist only needs 2-3 seconds to decide to commit an attack in a case like this, and that’s what happened here. Soldiers responded immediately and killed the terrorist and made sure it wasn’t worse,” Police Chief Roni Alsheikh told reporters.

The soldiers were participating in a day-long tour of Jerusalem, as part of the army’s “Sunday Culture” project. Several times each year, troops dedicate a Sunday to visiting sites of national and cultural significance. The Hass Promenade in Armon Hanetziv provides a sweeping view of Jerusalem’s Old City, Mount of Olives, Silwan neighborhood and more.

An anonymous IDF cadet, one of the people who shot at the driver, told: “We heard a ‘boum’ and when we turned we saw a truck ramming a people on the sidewalk. At th begining we thought it was an accident but we understood that it was an attack when the driver did not stop, so we ran towards the truck, armed our rifles and started shooting.” Moti Almoz, IDF Spokesperson, stated after the event, that there were 300 soldiers in total from a military training base 1 and reiterated that at least two of them ran to fire at the driver as soon as they understood they were not dealing with a road accident.

Eyewitnesses said it was clear that the driver was trying to kill as many people as possible. They also said that Arab pedestrians passing by the site in the aftermath of the attack applauded as emergency crews administered first aid and evacuated victims to local hospitals.

“When I arrived at the scene I saw a number of pedestrians who were run down by a large truck,” said Yakov Kaminetzki, a volunteer with United Hatzalah.

“Some of the pedestrians were unconscious and trapped underneath the vehicle. I asked the dispatch and command center to send additional assistance including fire and rescue services, as well as additional EMS responders due to the large number of wounded. Near the vehicle were a number of other pedestrians who had sustained various degrees of injuries some of whom were in serious and moderate condition,” Kaminetzki added.

Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely called the attack the Palestinians “answer” to Friday’s Paris Peace Conference, while Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat called on Jerusalemites to maintain their daily routines.

“I’m sorry to say there is no limit to the terrorists’ cruelty,” Barkat said in a statement. “They will stop at nothing in order to murder Jews and to disrupt daily life in the capital. The people who are inciting and the ones who support terrorism must pay a severe price. I call on residents of Jerusalem and the entire country to stay aware. Despite the terrible attack, we must continue our daily lives and not allow terror to win,” Barkat said.

After the event, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu visited the scene and stated the current assumption is that the attacker was an ISIS supporter. “We know that there is here a succession of attacks, and could very well be a connection between France and Berlin, and now Jerusalem […] We will overcome this attack just like we did the others.”

The police lifted the gag on the investigation of the incident and stated updated that they had arrested a total of nine suspects, five of whom family members of the driver responsible for the attack. Police forces continue to operate Jabal Mukaber within the framework of the investigation along with increased police deployment in the capital for the citizens’ safety.